MANILA, Philippines – Margaret Callanta has accomplished several feats at a young age – she survived ovarian cancer, law school, and the 2019 Bar examinations, all at the same time.

Callanta was among the 2,103 law students who passed the 2019 Bar examinations, one of the toughest and most esteemed licensure tests in the country.

Callanta is currently a paralegal at a non-profit human rights law group, where she has handled drug suspects from President Rodrigo Duterte’s Oplan Tokhang.

A San Beda Law graduate like Duterte, Callanta said she plans to stay on with the human rights law group,after one case made her realize that “we need more lawyers who will handle these cases.”

“Wala rin naman silang ibang nalalapitan, I think we need more lawyers na ganun, kasi most of the accused in court itong mga nasa informal sectors eh, what about the lower class, sinong nag-ha-handle sa kanila?” Callanta told Rappler in a phone interview on Wednesday, April 29.

(They can’t rely on anyone else, and I think we need more lawyers like that, because most of these accused come from informal sectors, so what about the lower class, who handles them?)

“That is why after kong ma-handle itong case, I hope more lawyers will be engaged in this kind of field,”said Callanta.

(That is why after I handle this case, I hope more lawyers will be engaged in this kind of field.)

Cancer and law school

Callanta was diagnosed with Stage 1 ovarian cancer in 2016 when she was a junior at the San Beda College of Law. She had to take a leave of absence and sit out law school for a year to undergo chemotherapy.

She returned to continue her 3rd year 2nd semester in 2017.

In June 2019, just after graduation, she had to undergo another surgery. It was a non-threatening surgery, but she was already reviewing for the Bar in November of that year. 

“I wouldn’t say I’m totally cleared of cancer now, [but I’m out of the woods],” said Callanta.

Callanta said the Bar review “was more challenging than 4 years in law school.”

Callanta said looking back, she doesn’t know how she survived law school after chemo.

“There is nothing definitive [about cancer], it could happen to anyone regardless if you have that stress from law school,” said Callanta, who now has only one ovary.

The NGO path

Callanta said that she interned both for a private firm and for the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) before, but that she “enjoyed PAO more.”

After graduation, she got her current job at a non-governmental organization focusing on human rights cases, which she said she will continue for now.

“The feeling I get, not satisfaction, it’s a sense of fulfilment, and although medyo cliche ang term na ‘yun (that term is a bit of a cliche), there’s this sort of feeling I get when I engage myself in this kind of work,” said Callanta. – Rappler.com